Laundry dryers



H. E. HULLAR LAUNDRY DRYEIRS June 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1953 6 E 3 mm TL mm v5 mm E IF. E 4H 0 6 w w w ATTUHNEY June 26, 1956 H. E. HULLAR 2,752,004

LAUNDRY DRYER-S Filed June 25. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVEN TDR HERBERT E. HULLAR AT?" URNEY United States Patent LAUNDRY DRYERS Herbert E. Hullar, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Murray Corporation of America, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application June 25, 1953, Serial No. 364,020

2 Claims. (Cl. 183-62) This invention relates to laundry dryers, and more particularly to a lint screen construction therefor.

In laundry dryers of the tumbling type, lint from the laundry is generated, which lint passes through the outlet ducts and unless screened, would enter the surrounding atmosphere in which the dryer is located. Where screens have been employed, there has been a tendency for such screens to become quickly clogged, whereby obstructing the relatively free flow of exhaust air and in general disturbing the normal operation of the dryer and the dryer controls.

The present invention is directed to a lint trap wherein provision is made for the collection of lint over an elongated large area screen, and in which such screen is so disposed as to be subject to the incoming stream of air, so that lint collected thereon may be swept from the screen by the incoming air. The screen is further so constructed that lint swept from the major portion of the screen area will be compacted in one narrow end of the trap, leaving substantially all of the screen area effective for screening the further flow of lint-laden air. The screen is so constructed as to be capable of being readily withdrawn from its surrounding housing for easy cleaning, and the housing and the screen cooperate in such a manner that exhausting of the screened air may be readily had by connecting to an outlet duct or by allowing the screened air to enter the room atmosphere, as may be desired.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

in the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a dryer to which the lint trap has been applied, illustrating the relative location of the various parts within the cabinet;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken through the lower portion of the cabinet and lint trap substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal broken sectional View through the upper portion of the lint trap substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken through the lint trap on the line 44 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the forward end of the lint trap showing the front closure plate employed for outside exhaust.

In Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a cabinet having a front access door 12 and a recessed lower front channel member 34. Within the cabinet is the usual stationary drum 16 within which is a rotatable perforate laundry-containing basket 18. The stationary drum and rotary basket have circular aligned apertures indicated 2,752,004 Patented June 26, 1956 as at 20 aligned with the door 12 for access. The drum 16 is provided with a tubular outlet manifold 22 having elongated ports 24 and 26 connecting the manifold with the drum 16. The rear end of such manifold is connected to the inlet port 27 of a centrifugal blower 28 having an outlet 30 leading to a lint box casing or housing 32.

The dryer cabinet and parts are mounted on a base frame having front and rear channel members 34 and 36 connected by a base plate 38. The rear channel member 36 supports, on a flange 40 thereof, the integral bracket 42 of the centrifugal blower 28. The outlet duct 30 of the blower is of rectangular cross-section, as indicated in Figure 4.

The housing 32 comprises a rectangular section elongated tubular member having side walls 44 and 46 and top and bottom walls 48 and 50. The forward end of the walls 44, 46, 48 and 50 of the housing are outwardly flanged as at 52, 54, 56 and 58, and such housing ex-, tends through a rectangular aperture 60 in the front channel member 34, the flanges 53, 54, 56 and 58 being secured to the web 66 of the channel member 34 by spot welding or other suitable means. The rear end of the housing is provided with a rectangular flanged closure plate 64, such flanged plate having a rectangular inwardly flanged aperture 66 adapted to receive the outlet duct 30 of the centrifugal blower 28. The outlet duct 30 is provided with a resilient sponge rubber collar 31 for sealing and silencing the connection to the plate 64. Laterally disposed with respect to such rectangularly flanged opening 66 is a circular outwardly flanged opening 68 adapted to receive an outlet tube 70 extending through an aperture 71 in the web 72 of the rear flanged member 36. Such outlet tube 70 also extends through the rear wall 74 of the cabinet, and terminates within a flanged collar .76 adapted to be connected with ducting for leading the exhaust outside a building.

Slidably disposed within the housing 32 is an elongated drawer-like screen assembly, which extends substantially the length of the housing, and which is adapted to be withdrawn from the housing from time to time for cleaning. The assembly comprises a base plate 78, the forward end of which projects outside of the forward end of the housing 32 and is provided with an upwardly extending rearwardly inclined finger grip flange 82. Mounted upon the plate 78 is a lint screen, such screen having an inclined top portion 84 and an upright side portion 86, the lower edge of the latter being flanged as at 88 for attachment to the plate 78 by spot welds such as 90. The screen is preferably composed of perforate sheet metal, which rigidifies the plate 78. The inclined portion 84 has an inner edge 92 closely fitting with the top wall 48 of the duct 32, whereas the forward end is provided with an end closure portion 94 extending downwardly to the plate 78 to which it is secured by an integral flange 96, such flange being spot welded as at 98 to the plate 78. The side edge of the inclined portion 84 closely abuts against the side wall 44 of the housing 32. The screen thus described cooperates with the base plate 78 and the side wall 44 to form a receiving chamber for lint-laden air. The end portion 94 is provided with an inturned resilient flange portion 100 adapted to slidingly and frictionally engage the housing Wall 44. Such flange 100 acts as a frictional detent to hold the drawer-like assembly within the housing 32 and completes the screen enclosure.

When it is desired to exhaust into the room area, the tube 70 is closed off by a flanged knock-out plug 102. The plate 78 is further provided with a baffle 104 tending to close off the lower half of the inlet duct 30 from the centrifugal blower 28 to cause the outflow of the centrifugal pump to wipe along the under surface of the inclined portion 84 of the screen. Such baffle also tends to reduce the air blast effect of the centrifugal blower due to the open front end of the housing 32, exhaust being effected into the room area through the open front end'of the housing '32. By use of the baflle, some'improved scavenging of the screen 84 is afforded. However, the baffle permits the utilization of a high power blower, which is desirable in. the event outside exhausting through a long duct is utilized.

If it be desired to exhaust through the tube '70 to ducting leading to an exterior outlet, the front opening of the housing 32 may be sealed off as is shown in Figure 5. For this purpose, there is provided a rectangular plate 166 having a width and height substantially corresponding to the width and height of the flanges 52 and 54 and 56 of the forward end of the housing 32. Such plate is provided with a sponge rubber inverted U-shaped gasket L98 adapted to bear against the length of the flanges 52, 54 and 56, and to seal the end of the housing 32, it appearing that the plate 166 extends downwardly to the top surface of the plate 78 as at 197. The closure plate 106 is provided with an attachment bracket 110 having a lower forwardly and downwardly inclined portion 112 adapted to be connected to the finger flange 82 by screws such as 114. Such portion 112 is provided with a rectangular opening 116 to permit a finger hold behind the flange 82, so that the screen and plate assembly, together with the end plate 106, may be readily withdrawn from the housing 32 for cleaning purposes, as before referred to.

When the forward plate 196 is in position and an outside exhaust through the tube 70 employed, the disk closure 102 will be knocked out and the baflle 104 removed. In practice, the baflle 194 may be secured in position by two screws 114, which screws may be utilized to secure the portionllZ of the support bracket 110 to the finger flange 82 as previously described. It will be appreciated that such battle is no longer required to reduce the blasting effect referred to. Removal, of the baffle permits the blower to more effectively handle the air flow resistance of any reasonable length of ducting leading to an exterior outlet, and in practice, such blower Willbe designed to adequately overcome such air flow resistance.

It will be seen that the lint screen assembly is readily where it will have little clogging or choking effect with respect to the major portion of the screen area.

While a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry dryer lint trap comprising an elongated substantially rectangular sectioned housing, said housing being open at its forward end, and having a closure with an inlet port at the other, an elongated screen assembly within said housing slidable therefrom through the open end, said screen assembly comprising a base plate slidable upon the bottom wall of said housing, and a lengthwise extending perforate screen, said screen having a portion extendingupwardly from a central longitudinally extending region of said base plate, and having a lateral inclined portion extending to a side wall of said housing, said port being located to direct a stream of.

lint-laden air in the region beneath and along the underside of said lateral inclined portion, said lateral portion sloping forwardly and downwardly from a point above said port and having substantially vertically extending closure means at the forward end thereof, an auxiliary outlet in said closure laterally disposed from said inlet port and said lateral portion of said screen, and a front end closure plate detachably secured to said housing.

2. VA laundry dryer lint trap comprising an elongated substantially rectangular sectioned housing, said housing being open at its forward end, and having a closure with an inlet port at the other, an elongated screen assembly within said housing slidable therefrom through the open end, said screen assembly comprising a base plate slidable upon the bottom wall of said housing, and a lengthwise extending perforate screen, said screen having a portion extending upwardly from a central longitudinally extending region of said base plate, and having a lateral inclined portion extending to a side wall of said housing, said port being located to direct a stream of lint-laden air in the region beneath and along the underside of said lateral portion, said lateral portion sloping forwardly and downwardly from a point above said port and having substantially vertically extending closure means at the forward end thereof, and a baflle mounted on said base plate immediately in front of said inlet port and extending across a substantial lower portion of the inlet port.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,193,305 Slagle Aug. 1, 1916 2,226,630 McCord Dec. 31, 1940 2,486,058 Patterson et a1 Oct. 25, 1949 2,540,955 Moore Feb. 6, 1951 2,664,646 Bourner Ian. 5, 1954 

